


Prismatic

by Klance_Convert



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Apologies, Coran gets a party, Enemies to Lovers, First Impressions, Fluff and Angst, I'm Bad At Tagging, Keith and Shiro are Siblings, Lance is petty, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Soulmate AU, and Shiro is protective older brother, broganes, keith is an orphan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-09-20 08:29:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9482843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klance_Convert/pseuds/Klance_Convert
Summary: Lance has looked forward to getting his reveal all his life. He's dreamed of the day the colors will shine from his heart, and tell him about his soulmate. But when his reveal finally happens, he is shocked and dismayed at what is shown. Red. Red and black, the most angry and temperamental of colors.Keith doesn't talk about soulmates that much, but can't help letting his mind wander to thoughts of romance and affection. His reveal seals the deal, as the blue shining from him means that his soulmate will be calm, and trustworthy, and the yellow that he is kind.  He is certain that when he meets his soulmate, that it will be smooth sailing from then on.A take on the glowing hearts soulmate au, where the colors that shine reveal your soulmate's personality.





	1. Reveal

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I'm so happy to finally be sharing this with you. This will be my first multi chapter fic, and I'm hoping that I won't just provide you with some entertainment, but that I'll be able to grow as a writer too. Thank you, and enjoy!

“Why did I sign up for applied science again?” Lance complained to Pidge and Hunk. The September air was still sticky with the last remnants of summer, but there was a crisp that had begun to show itself. They were walking through the downtown of Garrison University the first week of classes, and Lance was already done with them.

Pidge wiped her bangs out of her eyes. “Probably because it’s a required class for gen ed,” she reminded him.

“Yeah, but what am I ever gonna use that for?” he continued. 

“Most likely when you need to apply science,” Hunk answered, speaking slowly and motioning with his hands to emphasize his point. 

“I know Hunk, I’m not that stupid.”

“Just saying!”

Lance rolled his eyes, knowing it was no use. “Eh, I dunno.” He pushed open the door of the Altea Bookshop and Cafe (affectionately nicknamed the ABC by Hunk), sending a blast of cool air against their skin. Lance took in a deep breath, grinning at the familiar scent of coffee and paper. The shop was full of old bookshelves, packed tight with fantastical stories. A reading nook sat off to the side, full of comfy armchairs gathered round side tables. The cafe part of the shop sat right next to it, this seating area instead a collection of tall, rustic iron chairs. A large blackboard hung on the wall, displaying the day’s menu. They walked over to the rough wood counter, taking a seat at their unofficially designated barstools.

He leaned over the bar. “Allura! Three iced coffees, on the double!” he called out.

A woman, slightly older than the trio, with silver hair pulled up into a messy bun and a glare in her eyes that could pierce a person’s skull, came out to the counter. “Say again?” she asked, her tone laced with a warning.

“Aw, you know you love me,” Lance grinned, waving her off.

“Nice to see you too, Lance. Now how about some manners?” she raised her eyebrows, more friendly this time.

Lance’s eyes lit up. “Oh my most amazing queen, let me grovel at your feet. I am your most humble servant. Please, what is it that you ask, that I may assist you with?”

“Okay, stop with the dramatics, I’ll get you your coffee.” She went to the fridge and pulled out the most recent brew to prepare. “How are classes?”

“Lance is already failing,” Pidge replied.

Lance spun in his stool. “Oh come on, I’m not that bad!” he insisted. “I just don’t see the point of some of them!”

Pidge snorted. “There’s no such thing as an-”

“-Unimportant class, I know,” Lance cut in. “To you, maybe. But just because they have a purpose doesn’t mean they have a purpose to me, personally.”

Pidge thought for a moment. “Fine, you may be right. You still have to take some of them, though.” She looked around for a moment. “Where’s Coran?” she asked.

“It’s not his shift today,” Allura replied, coming back with their iced coffees in hand. The trio took them graciously. “Did I tell you guys I met my soulmate?” she asked them casually.

Hunk had already begun to drink, and nearly spit his out. “No, you did not, and you should’ve! Why didn’t you tell us, that’s amazing!” He went around the counter and gave her one of his official bear hugs. “Tell us everything.”

“Well,” she leaned on the counter. “He’s handsome, and tall, and smart. He came in for a drink two weeks ago and he touched me while paying. It was the end of my shift, so we sat and got to know each other. He’s in my economics class too, so that’s nice.”

“What colors did he glow?” Pidge asked.

Allura thought for a moment, “Purple and orange,” she answered.  
“Aww, that fits you perfectly,” Hunk said. “And you’re both purples too, that’s great!”

“And here I thought you would be my soulmate,” Lance joked. Another exasperated sigh from Pidge had him objecting, “What? I’m not allowed to flirt?”

“She’s taken McClain, chill,” Pidge chastised. “You haven’t even gotten your reveal yet.”

“Don’t remind me,” he grumbled. He had turned twenty one two months ago and still hadn’t gotten his reveal. Pidge had, more than elated to get orange and green. He bet her soulmate was getting exactly the same. Hunk too, and if the colors yellow and pink said anything about his soulmate it was that they’d be an absolute sweetheart. 

Lance just wanted to know. He’d looked forward to his reveal since he was a child, when he first asked his mom about them. His mom had read him a story about a prince getting his reveal, to find out his soulmate was a common girl. He remembered asking what a soulmate was.

“Well,” she had said, “They’re the person who will be your best friend and love you for you. They’re the person who you’ll want to spend the rest of your life with.”

“Like you and Dad?” he had said.

She had smiled. “Yeah, like you father and I. And when you get older,” she had continued, “You will get your reveal, where your heart will begin to glow different colors. And each color will mean something about your soulmate. Like whether they’re kind, honest, smart, funny, anything you can think of. And when you touch your soulmate for the first time, both of you will glow, so you know who your soulmate is.”

Lance reflected on those words. Someone he would spend the rest of his life with. That was kind of a big deal. What kind of person would they be? Would he get yellow, someone who would be there to cheer him up and shower him in hugs? What about blue, someone he could trust, who would understand? Maybe green, someone who would comfort him after a hard day? Lance knew he was just being impatient, but still. It was hard not to feel worried when everyone around him already had their paths right in front of them.

“Hey,” Hunk put his hand on his shoulder. “You’ll get yours soon. You’re just a late bloomer, that’s all.”

Lance nodded, pulling a smile to his lips for the sake of his friends. “I know, you’re right.” He got up to go over to look through the new collection of books they had in stock. He thumbed through the novels, trying to find one that wasn’t a romance. Something to take his mind off soulmates. Suddenly, he noticed a faint glowing beneath his face. He looked down, and realized with a shock that it was coming from his chest. Excited, he shouted, “Guys! Guys, it’s happening right now! We were just talking about it and it’s happening right now!” He scurried over to Hunk and Pidge, his smile wide. He couldn’t believe it. It was almost as if he had asked for it. What a coincidence!

But as the color of the light seeping from his chest brightened, his smile faded, and his heart sank.

Red. It was red. Which meant temperamental. It meant impulsive. It meant angry and impatient and someone who raised their voice. It meant the exact opposite of Lance. And worse yet, there was black. Black meant grief, it meant a troubled past. 

Lance felt like he was going to throw up. He sat down, stunned.

“Lance,” Hunk waved his hand in front of his face. “Lance, are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay, Hunk!” he snapped. “I got red and black! My soulmate’s a problem child with a bad past! I’ve been looking forward to this for years, Hunk. Years! And now this is what I get!” He held his face in his hands. “What did I do to deserve this?”

Hunk shrank back for a moment, taken aback by Lance’s outburst. Lance softened, shaking his head. “I’m sorry bro, I didn’t mean to snap like that. It’s just… this is the exact opposite of what I wished for. Why would the universe do that to me?”

Allura leaned over the counter. “Lance, whoever your soulmate is, the universe knows what it’s doing. At least wait until you meet your soulmate. Maybe they’ll surprise you.”

Lance looked at her, face resigned. He hesitated, before giving a small nod. “Maybe.”

 

Keith set down the last of the boxes, wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked around the small apartment, sunlight streaming in through the open window. It wasn’t fancy; just a small living room with a worn blue sofa, and a tiny kitchen with mint green cabinetry. It could have been worse though, for sure. At least the walls weren’t bright orange. And it got sunlight. He pulled his hair from the small ponytail and redid it, clipping back his bangs. Shiro came in behind him, with one last box of his own.

“I’m glad you finally decided to move in with me,” he said to Keith.

“I would’ve done it earlier, but freshmen and sophomores have to stay in the dorms,” Keith insisted.

“I know, but can you blame me? I missed living with my lil’ brother,” Shiro replied, messing with Keith’s hair.

“Shiro! Stop that!” Keith swatted his hand away. “Besides, I’m only two years younger than you.”

“I know. I’ve just always felt the need to protect you, after Mom and Dad…,” Shiro trailed off.

Keith smiled wryly. “Yeah. But I’m not ten anymore. We hold each other up now.” He started sorting through the boxes, carrying them into his new bedroom and opening them up. “So when do I get to meet this soulmate of yours?” he called back.

“Soon, sometime this next week,” Shiro promised. “We’ve gone on a couple of dates, but nothing much. Just trying to get to know each other.” He sighed softly. “She’s beautiful though. She’s got these large blue eyes, and she’s always smiling. I may not know her very well yet, but… I can feel it. I can feel the connection. We may know we’re soulmates because of the glow, but I can tell on my own that’s it’s meant to be.”

Keith smiled to himself. It had been awhile since he had seen Shiro this happy. He had spent most of their lives being the “responsible older brother”, and it was good to see him relax and enjoy things for once.

“Have you gotten your reveal yet?” Shiro asked him.

“Not yet. Didn’t I tell you that you’ll be the first to know?”

“Sorry. I just want you to be happy.”

“And I need a soulmate to do that?” Keith looked at the older boy with confusion.

“No,” Shiro backed up, “but this,” he pointed to his heart, “is an amazing feeling. You deserve that just as much as I do.”

Keith looked at him for a moment. “That’s really cheesy,” he said finally.

Shiro paused. “It is, isn’t it?”

“It wouldn’t be you if it wasn’t,” Keith teased.

Shiro shook his head, laughing. He took another glance around the room. “I’m gonna make some lunch. Want a sandwich?”

Keith nodded, and Shiro went into the kitchen while he continued to unpack boxes. His mind drifted to the idea of soulmates. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about soulmates. To the contrary, he thought about it a lot. He just didn’t talk about it as much as others might. He had turned twenty one only a couple of weeks ago and every day Shiro had harassed him on whether he had gotten his reveal or not. Keith just wanted to keep it to himself.

He wasn’t really sure what he wanted in a soulmate- someone who was kind, obviously, and someone smart. But not a genius who talked high above him. He mostly wanted someone he could trust. He needed more trust in his life.

Keith began to pull his clothes from a box and put them away when he noticed the light. It was faint, but just noticeable from under his shirt. 

“Shiro?” he called out slowly. “You wanted to know about my reveal? It’s happening.”

Shiro practically flew into the room, just barely stopping himself before crashing into something. They watched as the light coming from Keith’s chest slowly became clearer to them. The light seemed blurred, a fuzzy haze with no clear colors. Then individual rays seemed to shine through, as if focused through a lens. Keith smiled as he was finally able to see what the colors were. He looked up at Shiro. “It’s blue. Blue and yellow.”

Blue was the color of trust, of honesty. Blue was the color of calm, and sincerity, and understanding. And yellow was the color of joy. Keith couldn’t help but grin and shake his head. “It’s exactly what I would’ve asked for,” he whispered, “It looks like the universe knows what it’s doing.”

Shiro wrapped him up in a big hug, nearly squishing him in the process. “Congratulations,” he cheered. “I’m happy for you!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Keith waved him off, but he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. He justified that it was okay to be a little giddy about this. Why bother containing it?

“Now,” Shiro rubbed his hands together. “Let’s hunt this guy down.”

“Stop!” Keith groaned, covering his face with his hands. This was going to be interesting.


	2. Meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance's mood is already ruined by his reveal, stick a grumpy classmate on top of it and he is done.
> 
> Keith meets Shiro's soulmate, and it only goes downhill from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry I took so long. I work slow, and tumblr is a distraction. But here's the second chapter.
> 
> In case this wasn't clear from the last chapter, soulmates are only revealed to each other when physical contact is made between soulmates.
> 
> Thank you for all of your kind words and support. Enjoy!

Lance groaned as he trudged to Arusian Hall, the books in his pack weighing him down and causing a painful slouch. Government was one of the few classes where he didn’t know anyone at all, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. All of his other classes he shared with Hunk, or Pidge, or someone who was at least an acquaintance. But here, he was a loner.

The feeling of having his soulmate revealed still weighed in his gut, an uncomfortable truth he’d rather avoid. He had been excited for so long. But now all he felt was disappointment. He tried to be positive, knowing that he probably still had a few years before he even met who his soulmate was. He wasn’t sure he was ready to have a full blown relationship this early in life anyway. Hopefully Allura was right. Hopefully, the universe knew what it was doing. Somehow. 

He glanced down at his phone and realized that he was almost going to be late. Kicking it into high gear, he sprinted towards the building, his pack bouncing back and forth against his back. Entering the building, he sprinted down the corridor, and into the classroom, just in time, the tower ringing faintly in the distance through an open window. A couple of kids eyed him strangely, a judgement on this kid who was almost late to class. 

Glancing around, he noticed the last empty seat, and plopped his stuff down on the desk. Instantly his pack fell over and the stuff on the desk next to his fell over the edge, landing with a thud. A binder snapped open, and papers flew out everywhere, settling across the floor. The textbook landed halfway open, crumpling its pages and the covers splayed out like the broken wing of a bird. The room went silent, save for the sound of pencils rolling across the wooden floor.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry,” Lance started to apologize, about to pick up the fallen books. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. Let me just-,” he started trying to gather the mess of papers into one big pile.

“Don’t touch my stuff!” the kid snapped.

Lance looked at him, “Geez, I’m just trying to help.”

“I don’t want your help,” the kid snarled. “I want you to stop touching my stuff.”

Lance stared at him. The first thing he noticed about him was his eyes. They were pretty, gray but almost violet. The second thing he noticed was how soft the boy’s hair looked, and caught himself with the slight urge to touch it. The third thing he noticed was the scowl across his face, how it looked almost a little scared. Not wanting to dwell on the first two details, Lance focused instead on the anger. “Looks like someone didn’t get their morning cup of coffee,” he sneered.

“And someone seems to have forgotten what ‘no’ means,” he retorted.

“God, what’s you problem?” Lance raised his voice. “I just wanted to fucking help and you get all up in my face!”

“In your face? You're all up in mine!”

“Gentlemen!” A harsh voice pierced through the fight. They both turned to see the professor, who extended her thin arm and pointed a slender finger towards the boys. “I insist that you stop fighting immediately and return to your seats! I will not have quarreling in this classroom.”

Lance rolled his eyes and slumped into his seat. The boy angrily gathered his stuff together before he too, returned to his desk. “Dickhead,” he muttered under his breath. “Jackass,” the guy snarled back. They glared at each other. The professor cleared her throat deliberately and Lance looked away, fire behind his eyes. 

Lance was tense for the rest of class, zoning out as they went over the syllabus. A couple times he was caught off guard by being asked questions, in which he stuttered and asked for where they were. It certainly did nothing to get on the good side of the professor, who had been graced with the unfortunate name of Professor Haggar. He didn’t even mean to do it, but all that was going through his head was how stupid the guy sitting next to him was. And maybe how he was a little cute. But the lashing out had ruined him for Lance. All he had done was try to help, and the guy had gone off at him. He shook his head. He felt sorry for whoever that guy’s soulmate was gonna be.

 

“I can’t believe that guy!” Keith complained to Shiro about the incident. “I specifically told him no, and he kept putting his hands all over my stuff. No sense of personal space!” He let out a puff of air. “Some people are just so rude.”

“Is there any any chance that you went off on him?” Shiro asked gently.

“Why do you always assume that?” Keith asked him. But the older brother continued to look at him pointedly. Running his fingers through his hair, he sighed. “Okay, maybe a little. I had a good reason to though.” He thought of the black bound journal, now safely nestled in his bag, tipping over the edge with the rest of his work, and falling, open, to the floor. It was kept just out of sight by the mess of papers that had sprung from his binder, and thank god it had. The words written in there were for his eyes only. Though he supposed that it was half his fault. He knew better than to keep it out in the open, which practically invited prying eyes. “Either way, he hates me now, so there’s no undoing that.”

“You’re still gonna have to deal with him all year,” Shiro reminded him. 

The guy probably wasn’t that bad, Keith tried to reason. He admitted to himself that he was a little cute, attractive, even. But who wanted a cute guy with a shitty personality? No, the resentment was already there. “The less the better,” he grumbled. He glanced down at the address on the piece of paper in his hands. “Where are we meeting Allura again?”

“The Altea Bookshop and Cafe,” he answered. “She works there. You’re telling me you’ve never been there? In the three years of college at this town?” Keith shook his head. “Well, you’re in for a surprise. Coran makes the best scones.” He pointed across the street. “That’s it right there.”

They entered the shop, Keith pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere. The cafe managed to be cozy but freeing at the same time. And the smell of coffee that drifted through the air was tempting. He couldn’t believe he had never been here before. Making their way through the seating they approached the counter, where a woman with spilling, silver hair, leaned over and chatted with a girl with glasses and a ponytail, and a heavy built boy. The woman laughed, her head tilted back and her eyes shut tight with a smile.

“That’s her,” Shiro said, almost wistfully. Keith couldn’t help but grin. He could see why Shiro was into her. It didn’t hurt that they were soulmates, of course, but first impressions were still important.

They walked up to the counter, where the woman let out a small squeal of delight. She came around the counter and gave Shiro a chaste kiss, a hint of blush dusted on both of their cheeks. Sap, Keith thought. Starting, they both broke away from each other.

Shiro cleared his throat. “Allura, this is my younger brother, Keith. Keith, this is Allura.”

She reached out and gave Keith a firm handshake, strong but graceful. “It’s nice to meet to meet you Keith. I’ve heard so much much about you.”

“The same to you,” Keith replied, which brought the blush back to Shiro’s face.

Allura turned to the people behind her. “This is Pidge and Hunk,” she said, gesturing to the boy and girl on the stools. “Lance is in the bathroom. Coran,” she called back, “Shiro and Keith are here!” 

A guy a couple of years older than Allura came out from the kitchen, a well kept mustache adorning his face and a puff of flour across his skin. “Greetings!” He said cheerfully. “We’ve been expecting you. I’m Coran, head baker of the ABC. It’s good to finally see what Allura’s been fussing about.”

This time it was Allura’s turn to blush. “Coran,” she said pointedly. “How about you get some drinks for Shiro and Keith?”

“Okay,” Coran replied cheerfully, seemingly unaware of Allura’s embarrassment, “I’d love to serve the man Allura will be spending the rest of her life with.”

Allura, smacked him lightly on the back on his head, her face fully crimson. “Okay, okay,” he resigned, rubbing the back of his head. “Just know that he’s welcome, but if he hurts you, I hurt him.” He swung back around the bar, working the machines that lined the counter. “What about you Keith? Have you found your soulmate yet?”

“Not yet, but I just got my reveal a few days ago,” he explained, “I don’t expect to meet them for a long time.”

“Well you’re young, you’ve got time. I’m afraid I haven’t met my soulmate either. I suppose it’s a lost cause at this point. But I love imagining what they must be like, and what we’d do together. All the romantic stuff and such,” he rambled.

Pidge stared at him. “Coran, you’re talking as if you’re an old man. You’re only twenty six, chill. You’ve got a long time yet.”

“But I want to meet them now!” the man complained. “I want to go on dates under the stars and travel around the world and live happily ever after.”

“Don’t worry Coran,” Hunk comforted, “I’m sure you’ll find them soon enough.”

Keith couldn’t help but sympathize with him. Some people dated before they met their soulmates, but he’d had no such luck. He supposed part of it was his own fault, being so secluded in his childhood. He was left with only daydreams of the future.

As Coran continued to talk another familiar voice began to travel towards them. “Hey guys, sorry I took so long, there were some new books in and I wanted to check them to see if I-,” a boy came around the corner and stopped, staring directly at Keith. “You,” he said scathingly, venom dripping from his voice.

Keith looked up and his stomach rolled. It was the rude boy from his Government class! “You,” he stated back, with just as much malice.

“Do you two know each other?” Allura questioned, confused.

“This is the guy I was telling you about, the one who was a prick to me in Government!” Lance sneered.

“I’m sorry,” Keith replied sarcastically, “I think you mean you’re the guy who put his hands all over my stuff!”

“Boys,” Shiro started, “I’m sure that this was just a big misunderstanding. Please, talk it over.”

“You got a problem with me Mullet?” Lance continued, ignoring Shiro.

“Mullet? Really, are we five now?” Keith objected. “Besides, this is not a mullet.”

“It totally is a mullet.”

“Lance!” another voice broke through the argument. It was Hunk, who was waving the boy over to where he and Pidge were sitting. “Come look over these plans with me.”

“Fine. I’d rather do that then talk to Mullet over here,” Lance answered, jerking his head toward Keith.

“Stop calling me that!”

Lance ignored him and joined his friends by the counter. Keith stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Shiro put a hand on his shoulder. “Come on,” he said, “Let’s go sit down.”

Keith hesitated, before relenting. He looked over his shoulder at Lance before turning back to his brother. “Okay.”


	3. Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few words and a brief scuffle lead to more than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's finally here! It really shouldn't take me a month to write only 2000 words and yet here we are. I'm so glad to see how many people have been enjoying this story, and continue to follow it with each update. Enjoy!

The rest of the afternoon had been pretty awkward, what with Lance and Keith ignoring each other the entire time, save a few glares from across the cafe. Lance kinda felt bad for Allura and Shiro. He didn’t mean to ruin the get together. Shiro seemed like a great guy. It was just his brother Lance was angry about. He didn’t even care if he was being petty at this point. Keith had lashed out at him for no reason, okay? No reason! He could be as petty as he wanted to be.

Which led to where he was now, two days later, heading to another Government class. This time he got there early, waiting outside the door and scanning the hall. Eventually he was able to spot him, his skin even paler than usual under the flourescent lights. The maroon tee shirt he was wearing fit him well, and Lance would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little attractive. Keith seemed to be taking the opposite approach to Lance, averting his gaze and trying to ignore the boy.

Lance smirked, “Going somewhere, Mullet?”

“Shut up Lance,” came the very witty reply.

“I’m sorry Mullet, did I hurt your feelings?” Lance smirked, pretending he was talking to a child.

“Look, I get it, I snapped at you and now you hate me, just sit on the other side of the room. You don’t have to be so petty about it,” Keith groaned, finally looking at Lance.

“Oh, but you see,” Lance smiled sweetly, “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

“Back to being five again I see,” Keith replied sarcastically. “Are you always this immature?”

“You just can’t take it when I throw heat at you,” Lance sneered. “Like, really, why are you so sensitive?”

Keith’s voice got much much lower, almost a growl, “What did you say?”

“I-,” Lance found his back pressed against the wall, Keith’s arms on either side of him, boxing him in. His teeth gritted, and a fire burned in his violet eyes. Lance wasn’t sure where the move had come from, but obviously he had done something to make Keith mad.

“Never call me that again,” Keith spoke low, almost inaudibly, but the warning was obvious.

Lance was much more nervous now, but mostly irritated. “Okay then, just get out of my way,” he said, trying to push Keith back.

Keith stood firm. “I’m serious,” he said. “Stop it.”

“Okay, okay, geez,” Lance replied, moving to leave. He paused when he noticed Keith staring down at his chest, his face distorting from anger to a wide eyed stupor. Lance snickered, “Dude, what are you-,” he started glancing down too. His heart skipped a beat. Faintly, through their shirts, a faint glow was beginning to form.

Lance scrambled out of the way, pushing Keith back quickly. Keith, too, stepped back, the fire that had pierced his eyes only more violent. Lance’s heart was in his shoes. He started sputtering, “How? What the? How are?” He was in shock. “But there’s no way- there’s no way you’re- how are you? Why are you? Argh!” He threw his hands up in frustration. Keith was his soulmate? Keith? There was no way. The universe couldn’t be that cruel. He looked down at his chest again, then to Keith’s, just to see if he’d imagined it. But no, there is was, faint light shining through his shirt, the colors coming into focus.

Keith stood in shock like he’d been burned. His face had twisted into an ugly grimace. 

Lance, spiteful now, spat at him, “Of course your colors are red and black. Of course they are! That explains everything.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Keith questioned furiously.

“It means you’re nothing but an impulsive, brooding little shit.”

“Well there’s no way you’re blue and yellow!” Keith snapped back, a hint of fear laced in his voice. “This has got to be a joke, ’cause there is no way that you’re my soulmate!”

Just then the bell tower rang in the distance. The two boys glanced at the clock, then each other, both with anger, and disgust, and a little disbelief. Lance took a couple steps back, slowly. And  
dramatically, the two ran in opposite directions, leaving behind the class they were supposed to be in, and disappearing down the hall.

 

Lance burst into the ABC, lungs gasping. Hunk and Pidge looked up from where they sat, surprised. Coran came out of the kitchen with a concerned look on his face.

“Lance, what are you doing here?” Hunk asked him, “Aren’t you supposed to be in Government right now?”

“Nope, no no no, I’m not going to class right now. I wouldn’t be able to think straight,” he objected.

“Skipping class already?” Pidge teased lightly, but getting a look at Lance’s face, decided against it. “What happened?” she continued, more softly.

“I- I just met my soulmate,” Lance managed to get out.

“Lance that’s great!” Hunk said, coming in for a hug. When Lance shrunk away, he stopped, frowning. “Isn’t it?”

“It’s Keith,” Lance spat bitterly. “Of all the people in this world it could be, it had to be Keith.” 

“Keith? As in Shiro’s brother?” Coran asked.

“Yep,” Lance gritted his teeth. “That one.” He sat on a stool, burying his face in his hands. The circumstances felt quite familiar, and he remembered it was his response to his soulmate reveal. It seemed that the topic of soulmates was causing him a lot of grief recently. For years all he could think about was meeting his soulmate and living happily ever after. Now he’d do anything to put back what he had learned in the past week. Everything was going too fast. “Do I have permission to crawl into a hole and die?” he asked Hunk.

“No,” Hunk answered, “because then I won’t have my best friend anymore, and it’s also my job to make sure you don’t die.”

Lance rolled his eyes, but sat up and leaned his head on Hunk’s shoulder. He was too tired to process anything right now.

“Besides,” Hunk continued tentatively, “I know it looks bad now, but maybe Keith isn’t that bad?”

Lance looked at him, horrified. “Are you kidding me? Hunk, you were here the other day. I told you what he did. He’s the last person on Earth I’d want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Hunk explained, “All I’m saying is that maybe there’s something else that was going on, and you guys got off on the wrong foot. Not to be cheesy, but you know, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’? He might be a nice guy, once you get to know him. And like Allura said. The universe knows what it’s doing. He’s your soulmate for a reason. Maybe you just need to figure it out.”

Lance groaned. “But his colors are red and black Hunk! This guy is hardwired to be a jerk for all of eternity.” 

Hunk gave him a gentle but pointed look.

Lance sighed. “Fine. Maybe. But can I not deal with that right now? I’ll figure things out later.” He looked up. “Coran, can I get a pity scone?”

Coran smiled sympathetically. “Of course.”

“And Pidge,” he continued, “Will you come play video games with me?”

She snorted. “You’re gonna make us dote on you all day, aren’t you?” He looked at her with pleading eyes. She shook her head. “Fine, but I have Advanced Programming at three, so you better be ready.”

Lance smiled gratefully. Having Keith as his soulmate still held a knot in his stomach, but at least he had friends who cared about him. That was better than any soulmate.

 

Keith didn’t really process anything until he got to his apartment, slamming the door violently and sinking to the floor. His brain was swirling with a tumultuous mixture of thoughts and emotions. It was a stormy headache, one that wasn’t going to go away easily with only some aspirin and a glass of water.

He rubbed his temples angrily. Lance. How out of everyone in existence had he ended up matched with Lance? It could have been anyone in the world. Anyone! But he was stuck with this rude, cheeky, brazen, petty, flippant, shallow, agitating- augh! He ran his fingers into his hair, tugging on it frustratingly, and banged his head against the door.

He admitted it. He had snapped at him. He had let his temper flare out. He shouldn’t have done it, and it was wrong. He admitted it, okay?! Was the world happy now? He would throw in every apology for messing up that one time if it meant he wasn’t stuck with Lance for the rest of his life. 

“Fuck soulmates,” Keith muttered. “Fuck colors, fuck Lance, fuck soulmates!” He banged his head against the door again, wincing as his head retaliated with a dull throb. Maybe taking his anger out on himself wasn’t the best idea. He moved away from the door, crawling onto the couch and collapsing. Sure, he was being pathetic, but he didn’t even care at this point.

He just… hated the feeling that was weighing in his gut. He had been so excited to meet his soulmate. After his parents died, the only person he had trusted was Shiro. He hadn’t been able to make a lot of friends. No one likes to be around the kid with dead parents. Not that the moving around helped. Keith couldn’t blame them. He was no fun. There was that one time, but, well- he should have known it was too good to be true.

But here he was, twenty one years old, a junior in college and absolutely zero social life. And when that blue shone through his chest he had thought that maybe this was his chance. Maybe he’d finally find someone to open up to. To trust again. But he could hardly imagine trusting Lance with the time of day, much less the rest of his life.

The sound of the door opening startled Keith from his thoughts. He turned from his spot on the couch, face half smushed into the cushion, to see Shiro enter the apartment. Shiro didn’t even notice Keith at first, and was surprised when he looked down to see his younger brother.

“Keith? What are you doing back? Don’t tell me you skipped class,” Shiro warned him.

“Fine, I won’t tell you then,” Keith replied satirically.

“Keith, we talked about this,” Shiro started.

He sat up. “No we didn’t, because since when is the last time I skipped class, if ever? Besides,” he added, glancing away, “I’m not facing Lance right now.”

“Are you and Lance still arguing?” he questioned, “Cause it really wasn’t that big of a deal. You’re gonna need to learn to deal with people you don’t like and not get so worked up over little-,”

“-He’s my soulmate, Shiro!” Keith shouted, cutting him off. “He’s my freakin’ soulmate, and now I’m stuck with him for the rest of my goddamn life!”

Shiro stopped. He contemplated what to say next. He began to speak, then stopped himself. In the end he decided on stretching out his arms, offering a hug. 

Keith stood up, and begrudgingly let Shiro embrace him. In that moment he was ten years old again, his older brother protecting him. They had both had to grow up too quickly since then, Shiro especially. They were moved from foster home to foster home, all of them nice enough, but never truly feeling like family. And now Shiro played the role of big brother, comforting him when he needed it most. 

“Thank you,” he mumbled into Shiro’s university shirt.

“You’re welcome,” Shiro murmured back.”Just don’t think you can get away with skipping class again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, Keith has his mistakes, but also his reasons behind them (Just wait until later chapters... what am I doing to my son?!?)
> 
> Please pardon my notes format, I can't seem to make the notes installed on Chapter 1 ONLY on Chapter 1. Does anyone know how to fix this? Thanks.
> 
> Thank you again for all of your support.


	4. Glance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A game of keep away wears itself out, and two boys learn how to communicate like adults.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! How's it going? He, hehe... please don't hate me.
> 
> So I'm back! Sorry for the two month wait. It was a mix of Driver's Ed, school, other projects, and honestly just being lazy. In the meantime I wrote a one-shot called [Connection](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10533903), featuring Pidge and an OC Olkari girl that like to flirt. Please check it out. This chapter is also a little longer than usual, if that makes up for anything.
> 
> Thank you for all of your support. You've all been so kind and encouraging. Rather than complain about my slow timeline you instead show appreciation. I might be a small fic in the sea of the fandom, but you guys keep me going. Thank you for everything, and enjoy!

Lance avoided Keith like the plague since the reveal. He got to class extra early, just so he’d be certain to sit as far away from the other boy as possible. He wanted as much distance from him as he could get. Keith tended to show up at the last minute, only to book it the moment class was over. Lance had tried to do the same thing the first few days, but after accidentally running into him instead of away from him- twice- he chose to wait it out. Not to mention the colors would occasionally get set off, which was super awkward.

Lance hated the feeling he got in his stomach every time he caught a glance of his- no, he wouldn’t use that word. How could someone so aggravating be the person he’s supposed to spend the rest of his life with? He wanted someone who was kind, loving, supportive. He wanted someone who understood him. Someone to be his other half.

Keith? Keith was not that person. The two of them were like hot and cold. They clashed too much to ever work well together. Lance knew exactly who he was. His impression was bad enough, but the colors that glowed from his chest and mocked him were all he needed.

“Hey Lance!” Hunk voice cheerfully broke through his train of thought, “we’re all gonna go out for drinks later, wanna come?”

Lance shook himself from his cloud of frustration, “Sure, sounds like fun!” he replied.

“Great! We’ll meet up around eight, Allura’s gonna bring Shiro.”

Lance’s eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute. Does that mean Mullet will be there?”

Hunk furrowed his eyebrows, “What, you mean Keith?”

“Yeah.”

“I mean, maybe. He’s invited, though he hasn’t answered yet.”

His stomach churned. There was that feeling again. “On second thought, I don’t know if I feel like it.”

“Aw, come on, it’ll be fun,” Hunk protested.

“I just… don’t know if I’m ready to face him,” Lance replied, “Not yet.”

“I just don’t want you missing out,” Hunk replied.

“I know, just, a little more time,” Lance pleaded, “please?”

Hunk gave in, “Okay, I understand. You wanna hang out tomorrow? Just you, Pidge, and I?”

Lance smiled faintly, “Yeah, that’d be great.”

 

His heart was betraying him again.

Keith cursed as the blue and yellow appeared once more. The stupid thing glowed every time he thought about his soulmate. Of course he couldn’t stop thinking about Lance! It’s just none of it was good. The colors didn’t seem to care though. They still lit up, albeit dully, whenever the brunet boy possessed his thoughts. Avoiding him was hard enough; he didn’t need his mind focusing on him all the time. The more he ignored him, the better he could pretend that soulmates weren’t real. But he could only do that if the colors stopped reminding him.

Lost in his own thoughts, Keith accidentally bumped into a small figure as he entered the student union building. “Sorry!” he apologized hastily, before realizing he recognized them. “Pidge?”  
The short girl straightened her glasses. “Keith? Hi, how are you?”

Keith felt almost caught off guard. He hadn’t spoken to any of the people he met at the ABC since the first time, yet they were still so friendly towards them. They even invited him to go hang out,which he politely yet awkwardly declined, knowing it just meant seeing Lance. Still, he wiped the look of shock off his face, replacing it with what he hoped was a friendly grin. “I’m good, you?”

“I’m good. I just had the worst Communications class, but I’m good now. We’re just heading over to the ABC.”

“Cool,” Keith furrowed his eyebrows, “Wait, we?”

“Hey Pidge!” came the (sadly) familiar voice, “Slow down, you can’t just-,” Lance rounded the corner. His colors flickered briefly, as his brain registered Keith’s presence, before recoiling. Turning an angry red, he spun on his heels, nearly bumping into Hunk on his way.

Keith, just as shocked and embarrassed, turned and walked quickly away. Again, he should have expected Lance to be nearby. It was as if he was everywhere now. “Get out there I said,” he muttered to himself, “Make some friends I said, meet your soulmate I said. Guess that backfired.” He contemplated things for a moment. “Wonder how logical complete isolation is?”

“Don’t be dramatic,” Shiro’s voice in his head said.

“Yeah yeah,” he continued, “Try me.” Huffing, he headed for the apartment. He wasn’t going back to the dining hall. Looks like he was having ramen for dinner. Again.

 

A few weeks later Lance was sitting with Hunk and Pidge at the ABC once more, musing over new books shipments while Allura and Coran bustled back and forth, filling orders. The cafe was full, but it was the laziest day he’d had in some time- between classes and homework and avoiding Keith- a boy needed his down time. It was nice to spend it with his friends and just relax.

Allura was not relaxed. At a rare break in business she came over to the trio, wiping sweat from her brow and tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears. “It’s super hectic today,” she commented, “Not that I’m complaining, but we may need more employees soon.”

“I’d be willing to take on some shifts,” Hunk offered.

“Really?” she perked up at the idea, “You’d do that?”

“Sure,” he waved, “I need a job anyways.” He glanced over his shoulder before pulling them into a huddle, speaking in a hushed whisper, “Isn’t Coran’s birthday coming up?”

“It’s next Friday,” Allura replied.

“We should hold a surprise party for him, open house style, here,” Hunk suggested, “Of course,if that’s okay with you. Not to mention the added bonus of gaining some more customers.”

“Sounds like a great idea Hunk!” Allura exclaimed, “I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“Great, I’ll start planning the menu,” he replied.

“I’ll take care of the decorations,” Lance offered.

“I’ll send out the invitations,” Pidge declared.

“Sweet! Looks like we got a plan,” Allura cheered quietly, “Pidge, I’ll try to get you a list of names. I’ll check in with Shiro and Keith myself, but it’d be easier to reach everyone by email.”

Lance’s heart stopped, “Wait wait wait,” he started, signaling a time out with his hands, “Keith’s coming?”

“Here we go again,” Pidge muttered.

“He’s Shiro’s brother, Lance, it would be disrespectful to just not invite him,” Allura said.

“But I’m not ready to deal with him yet,” he whined, hiding the pluck of fear he felt.

“Lance,” Hunk said this time, voice uncharacteristically stern, “It’s been weeks. I tried to respect your wishes, I really did. But honestly, it’s getting ridiculous. I understand you wanting space, but now it’s interfering with your ability to function. You’ve been avoiding hanging out with us whenever there’s a chance he’ll be there too. That night out you skipped because you thought was gonna be there? He didn’t show up either. And I get it, you’re scared. You’re scared that you don’t know what going to happen, or that your future feels like it’s been turned upside down. But I’m saying this, as your friend that cares about you very much- you can’t hide forever. You need to talk to him, and soon. For everyone’s sake, especially yours.” 

Lance was quiet. “I just don’t know what to do when I see him,” he half whispered, speaking more to himself than his friends, “I’m not ready for my future to be now.”

“You don’t have to rush into anything yet,” Allura assured him, “You just have to talk to him. And don’t worry, we’re still here for you.”

“Yeah, and if he still happens to turn out to be a huge jerk- which he won’t- we’ll kick his ass,” Pidge joked, which was oddly comforting for Lance.

Lance giggled a little bit, the tightness in his chest loosening. “Thanks guys,” he said, “Sorry for bothering you with this again.”

“It’s okay to be scared,” Hunk comforted, “You just need to learn to face that fear head on.” He wrapped his arms around Lance, Pidge and Allura piling on from the sides. Coran came over, looking at them quizzically, “Why are we all hugging Lance?”

“Cause insecurities,” Pidge answered.

Coran perked up attentively, “Well in that case,” he started, and joined the group. Lance was sure it was a fairly odd scene, five people in a huddle in the middle of a cafe, but he was just happy to have his friends.

 

“Keith?” Shiro knocked on the doorframe of the bedroom. Keith quickly closed the cover of his journal, setting the pen aside. Shiro bowed apologetically. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Keith replied, “Thanks for knocking.”

His older brother came in and sat at his desk, spinning back and forth on the chair absent-mindedly. “So there’s a party at the ABC on Friday,” he started.

“Will Lance be there?” Keith said dryly. 

Shiro hesitated. “Maybe?”

Keith looked down and picked at his jacket sleeve. “I’m not going then.”

“But it’s Coran birthday,” Shiro explained.

“Well, uh, happy birthday to him, but I don’t want to go.”

“Keith,” he insisted, “you can’t avoid him forever.”

“Watch me.”

“Keith!” Shiro raised his voice. Keith looked up at him. Shiro sighed. “You gotta quit ignoring this. It’s been what? A month? He’s your soulmate, Keith! You’re going to have to face him sooner or later. It’s not fair to you or him. Plus,this isn’t about you or Lance. It’s about Coran. He’s Allura’s friend, so therefore, he’s our friend. I want us to support him.”

“What am I supposed to say to him? ‘Hey, you hate my guts but we’re stuck with each other, so let’s go out’?” he questioned.

“Well first, you should probably apologize,” Shiro suggested, “You didn’t mean to lash out, right? That’s what you told me. Now tell him.”

“But shouldn’t he apologize to me?” Keith pressed.

“Maybe. But if I can teach you one lesson- and trust me, I’m still learning this- it’s to learn when to admit you were wrong.”

Keith didn’t acknowledge him. Shiro frowned, stood, and walked to the door. “You’re a grown adult, Keith. You make your own decisions. But please. Just think about it.”

Keith glanced up as Shiro left. He let out a puff of air, laying back on his bed. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want to. He wasn’t ready. It was much easier to just ignore Lance. Pretend he didn’t exist. Shut him out and try to convince himself that they weren’t soulmates.

But.

But Shiro was right. This wasn’t fair to either of them. And if he was being honest with himself? He was tired of it too. He did feel kind of guilty for snapping at Lance. It really hadn’t been his fault. Keith knew it was time to apologize, if Lance would let him. So as hard as it was gonna be… he would have to face him. Eventually.

 

That Friday Keith entered the ABC wary, barely recognizing the shop with its decorations, colored lights, and upbeat music. Streamers in orange and blue draped from the ceiling in sweeping curves, and dozens of balloons of the same color were tied to chairs and tables. Keith would’ve guessed there were at least a hundred of them. Above the counter hung a large banner with the words, “Happy 27th Birthday Coran” in bubble letters. He was pretty sure there was glitter involved. 

“This is festive,” Shiro said as he followed behind him, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

“Sure is,” Keith responded weakly, trying to quell his nervousness and instead appear cheerful.

“Shiro! Keith!” came a voice from the crowd of people who were milling around. Coran and Allura stepped out from around the guests, a glass of what Keith figured was champagne in the former’s hand. “You came! It’s good to see you two. Especially you, Keith. You haven’t joined us in a while.”

Keith winced, embarrassed. “Yeah, sorry about that. I just needed to work through some stuff.”

“My guess is that you have just a little more to work through yet,” Allura replied, nodding her head towards the bar. Keith followed her gaze, noticing Lance standing by himself and holding a half empty glass.

He took a deep breath. “I suppose I should go deal with now, shouldn’t I?”

Allura nodded again. Keith exhaled loudly. “Okay then. I’ll be back.”

He made his way over to Lance, pushing through clusters of classmates and strangers, until he was at the bar. Lance was wearing a denim collared shirt, the sleeves rolled up to show off his tan skin. His hair was mussed up in the way that is similar to how bedhead looks good on some guys. The colored lights left pools of reflection in his deep blue eyes. Looking at him now, Keith would admit to himself that Lance was attractive, more than he’d given him credit before in their first encounter. He noticed a flicker of light coming from under his chin. He brushed it off. He had other things to deal with first. Steeling his courage, he cleared his throat to speak, “Um, hi,” he started.

Lance looked up, noticing Keith for the first timer. He seemed to bristle for a moment before settling himself. “Uh, hey.”

“Nice party,” Keith awkwardly started.

“Yeah.”

“The decorations are good,” he continued, not sure why he said this.

“Um, thanks, I did them,” Lance replied.

“Oh,” he responded, before dwindling off. The two of them stood there uncomfortably, neither sure what to say next.

“So,” Keith tried again, this time deciding to get to the point, “I was hoping to talk to you, maybe.”

“Mmm?” Lance hummed, swirling the glass of wine in his hand. 

“I-I was hoping to… apologize. For snapping at you that first day,” Keith forced out, “I overreacted, and it was wrong. I’m sorry.”

Lance looked surprised at the apology. “Um… wow. Thank you,” he responded, “I’ll admit I was not expecting that. I should apologize to you too. You told me to not touch your stuff, and I should’ve listened the first time, instead of continuing what I was doing.”

Now it was time for Keith to be shocked. “I mean, I kind of get it. Most people aren’t as sensitive about it as I am. But thank you, that actually means a lot.” He chuckled, combing his bangs back with his fingers. “It’s too bad we didn’t do this before. It would’ve saved us both a lot of drama.”

Lance grinned sheepishly, “As well as the rest of our friends.” He stuck out his hand, “Let’s try this again. Hi, I’m Lance. It’s nice to meet you.”

Keith grinned back, shaking his hand, “I’m Keith. Nice to meet you, too.” He let go of his hand, feeling a weight lift of his shoulders. They settled into a more comfortable silence for a minute, as if each was processing what had just happened. Keith was relieved that this was resolved.

“There’s still another thing you have to deal with,” said a voice inside his head.

Shit, he nearly forgot. “So, we should probably talk about another thing,” he continued. Lance’s eyes flashed in recognition, the sheepish look returning to his face. “Yeah, um, I guess we should.” 

Neither of them said anything else for a moment.

Lance spoke again, breaking the pause, “Look at us. We’re acting like a couple of teenagers.” The remark brought a smile to Keith’s face. Lance continued, “So it seems that we… are soulmates then. Yeah.”

“Uh huh,” Keith weakly replied.

“So… what do you want to do about that?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“Um, a date maybe?” Lance suggested, a hint of blush rising to his cheeks.

“S-sure, we could do that,” Keith stuttered. God, he was being so awkward!

“Okay, do you wanna meet here tomorrow? Just hang out, get to know each other, nothing serious?” he asked.

“Okay then, that should work. How’s one pm for you?” he added.

“That works.”

“Well, great. It’s… a date,” Keith finally stated, feeling a touch of flush in his own face.

“Hey, Lance, we’re about to do cake,” Pidge came up beside them, noticing Keith standing there, “Keith, hi. Wow, you two actually aren’t killing each other. That’s progress.”

“Hey!” The two protested at the same time.

“We weren’t that bad,” Lance insisted.

Pidge gave him a look that seemed to explain that yes, they were. Lance ignored it and followed her into the crowd. “You coming?” he said to Keith.

“Yeah, be right there,” Keith promised. 

Lance turned back and was swallowed by the party. Keith smiled. “Maybe he’s not so bad after all,” he murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they don't hate each other's guts now! so that's good!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Kudos and comments are appreciated. Both detailed reviews and incoherent screaming are welcome.
> 
> [Full Color Guide](http://klance-convert.tumblr.com/post/156463325376/a-color-guide-for-my-new-klance-soulmate-au)
> 
> Thank you to my many betas, [Puckabrinaluver](http://puckabrinaluver.tumblr.com/), [Indythewonderful](http://indythewonderful.tumblr.com) and [Dragonetteeye](http://dragonetteeye.tumblr.com/). You're wonderful friends, and I appreciate the support. Check them out on tumblr!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: [@klance-convert](http://klance-convert.tumblr.com/)


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